Our new members wear all white "dressy" clothes, which permits slacks as well as skirts and dresses. We're not overly fussy about the pureness of the white, though, so we get a lot of variation. After all, it's tough to find true white when your pledge class is initiated in December, as mine was! The sisters (both collegiate and any alumnae who are there) wear all black.

We follow this same dress code when we induct a new chapter. But to go one step further to honor that new chapter, on the day of the induction sisters all over the country wear all black and their member badge in tribute... which we'll be doing tomorrow to welcome our 26th collegiate chapter!!

Learn something new every day! We are provided with our ritual apparel by our chapter. Everything is taken care of "in house".

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrishLake

I think it is no coincidence that none of my sisters have said anything on this thread.

On this note, I will say only that we were asked to arrive in all white. It was only after arriving at initiation that we changed into our catsuits (white for initiates, green for sisters) and the officers donned their white faux-fur stoles over their green catsuits.

Um. I'll shut up now.

__________________AEΦ ... Multa Corda, Una Causa ... Celebrating Over 100 Years of SisterhoodHave no place I can be since I found Serenity, but you can't take the sky from me...
Only those who risk going too far, find out how far they can go.

On this note, I will say only that we were asked to arrive in all white. It was only after arriving at initiation that we changed into our catsuits (white for initiates, green for sisters) and the officers donned their white faux-fur stoles over their green catsuits.

Um. I'll shut up now.

I was told that if we could not find a boa made entirely of white dove feathers, we could wear one made of pigeon feathers that had been bleached.

Seriously, the main thing I remember is no wristwatches. In this day and age, those have been supplanted by cell phones, and I would hope it goes without saying, those are verboten.

Oh, the shoes! I forgot about the shoes. What kills me is there must be a factory out there somewhere that makes all that stuff. And some $8/hour factory guy who thinks all sorority girls are complete nutballs.

__________________"Traveling - It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. ~ Ibn Battuta

I'm thinking I've heard more than once that the no-makeup rule is to keep makeup from getting onto the robes, which would then have to be cleaned and pressed every time instead of once or twice a year. That would make more sense.

Now I'm creeped out. The ad at the top of the page is www.shopwhitedress.com. How do they know????????????????????

What kills me is we probably all wore exactly the same thing, but since we can't discuss, we don't know! Back to the factory thing - they couldn't stay in business if they were just manufacturing secret catsuits for just Alpha Xi.

__________________"Traveling - It leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. ~ Ibn Battuta

I participated in an installation and we were told to wear white. This was very different than what we wore back in my collegiate days, probably similar to what honeychile is describing. I must say I don't know if policy changed, the fact that my chapter is very old (100 years old next year!) and we wore original initiation garb, or if installations are different than regular initiations. Besides, our initiations were done in the middle of the night with about 82 things that are now considered hazing, so I know at least part of it has changed.

Too bad we can't share stories - I've got one or two funny ones!

One of the sisters in my alumnae association shared a little bit about her initiation (at another campus) that might be similar to yours, and it was wild.

I will say this about my Alpha Xi initiation - I was blown away. I thought it might be because it was so long coming for me, but then again, I don't see how it could be any less beautiful or meaningful to anyone experiencing it. There's a phrase that I've heard a lot - and many sororities have used it - that their sorority isn't something they "joined," but rather, something that they have always been. THAT is how I felt at initiation.

What kills me is we probably all wore exactly the same thing, but since we can't discuss, we don't know!

I know what you mean; I'd love to see how other chapters do their initiations. Actually, I'd REALLY love to attend the initiation they do at Convention every other year. Since it's the National Council that does it, you KNOW it's done perfectly. I'm curious to see how it differs from how our chapter did it. ("uh oh, I can't find the sacred turtle shell" "okay, we can just use a seashell instead. No one will know the difference.")

__________________I ♥ Delta Zeta ~ Proud Mom of an Omega Phi Alpha and a Phi Mu"I just don't want people to go around thinking I'm the kind of person who doesn't believe in God or voted for Kerry." - HoneychileHail to Pitt!

I will say this about my Alpha Xi initiation - I was blown away. I thought it might be because it was so long coming for me, but then again, I don't see how it could be any less beautiful or meaningful to anyone experiencing it. There's a phrase that I've heard a lot - and many sororities have used it - that their sorority isn't something they "joined," but rather, something that they have always been. THAT is how I felt at initiation.

That's why it really bothers me when GDIs talk about sorority initiations like they're something bad or abusive or, (ugh) kinky. Delta Zeta's initiation ritual is beautiful and uplifting and I would be absolutely shocked if it WEREN'T the case with the other NPC organizations as well.

__________________I ♥ Delta Zeta ~ Proud Mom of an Omega Phi Alpha and a Phi Mu"I just don't want people to go around thinking I'm the kind of person who doesn't believe in God or voted for Kerry." - HoneychileHail to Pitt!

What kills me is we probably all wore exactly the same thing, but since we can't discuss, we don't know! Back to the factory thing - they couldn't stay in business if they were just manufacturing secret catsuits for just Alpha Xi.

I feel the exact same way. Maybe that's why we can't share: we'd all find out we've been wearing the same thing.

We do not have the no makeup requirement, for which I am grateful, because I am a mascara addict.